Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Penetrate
Pen′e-trate
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Penetrated
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Penetrating
.] [L.
penetratus
, p. p. of penetrare
to penetrate; akin to penitus
inward, inwardly, and perh. to pens
with, in the power of, penus
store of food, innermost part of a temple.] 1.
To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to effect an entrance into; to pierce;
as, light
. penetrates
darkness2.
To affect profoundly through the senses or feelings; to touch with feeling; to make sensible; to move deeply;
as, to
. penetrate
one’s heart with pityShak.
The translator of Homer should
penetrate
himself with a sense of the plainness and directness of Homer's style. M. Arnold.
3.
To pierce into by the mind; to arrive at the inner contents or meaning of, as of a mysterious or difficult subject; to comprehend; to understand.
Things which here were too subtile for us to
penetrate
. Ray.
Pen′e-trate
,Verb.
I.
To pass; to make way; to pierce. Also used figuratively.
Preparing to
penetrate
to the north and west. J. R. Green.
Born where Heaven's influence scarce can
penetrate
. Pope.
The sweet of life that
penetrates
so near. Daniel.
Webster 1828 Edition
Penetrate
PEN'ETRATE
,Verb.
T.
1.
To enter or pierce; to make way into another body; as, a sword or dart penetrates the body; oil penetrates wood; marrow, the most penetrating of oil substances.2.
To affect the mind; to cause to feel. I am penetrated with a lively sense of your generosity.3.
To reach by the intellect; to understand; as, to penetrate the meaning or design of any thing.4.
To enter; to pass into the interior; as, to penetrate a country.PEN'ETRATE
,Verb.
I.
Born where heaven's influence scarce can penetrate.
1.
To make way intellectually. He had not penetrated into the designs of the prince.Definition 2024
penetrate
penetrate
See also: penetrãte
English
Verb
penetrate (third-person singular simple present penetrates, present participle penetrating, simple past and past participle penetrated)
- To enter into; to make way into the interior of; to pierce.
- Light penetrates darkness.
- 1879, Th Du Moncel, The Telephone, the Microphone and the Phonograph, Harper, page 166:
- He takes the prepared charcoal used by artists, brings it to a white heat, and suddenly plunges it in a bath of mercury, of which the globules instantly penetrate the pores of charcoal, and may be said to metallize it.
- (figuratively) To achieve understanding of, despite some obstacle; to comprehend; to understand.
- I could not penetrate Burke's opaque rhetoric.
- Ray
- things which here were too subtile for us to penetrate
- To affect profoundly through the senses or feelings; to move deeply.
- to penetrate one's heart with pity
- M. Arnold
- The translator of Homer should penetrate himself with a sense of the plainness and directness of Homer's style.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
- To infiltrate an enemy to gather intelligence.
- To insert the **** into an opening, such as a **** or anus. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
Derived terms
Translations
enter into
|
|
insert the **** into an opening, such as a ****
Esperanto
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /penetˈrate/
Verb
penetrate
- present adverbial passive participle of penetri